You'll Always Be My Baby
by BaronessBlixen
Summary: Magic befalls Emma and turns her into a small child. Her parents are not sure how to deal with this new situation. Charming family fluff. Right after 2x22.
1. A Chance

**You'll Always Be My Baby**

**Summary**: Magic befalls Emma and turns her into a small child. Her parents are not sure how to deal with this new situation. Charming family fluff. Right after 2x22.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**A/N**: The idea for this story wouldn't go away so I thought I'd just write it. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but that didn't happen for some reason. Hope you guys like it!

* * *

The sun was about to set and Snow lost herself in the soft orange sky on the horizon. The colors had never been as bright in Storybrooke as they were here over the ocean. Colors were different in the Enchanted Forest and any land that was touched by magic. As soon as they found Henry, she would show him and Emma the beauty of the land they both originated from. Deep in her heart Snow knew they would find Henry. They would always find each other. She had tried to tell Emma the same, but she wasn't ready to believe quite yet. With her there would always be a grain of fear, of distrust. It was up to her and Charming to teach her all about it.

"There you are." Charming whispered and engulfed her in his arms. She immediately relaxed against him and closed her eyes. How had she lived without him – without this – for 28 years? Now the woman responsible for all the time lost was with them on this ship. More than that; she was family.

"You know, the colors are different here."

He was quiet for a moment and just followed her eyes, her track of thoughts. Charming had never really looked at the colors here or anywhere. All he knew was that life was so much darker without her in it. Without Snow, there had never been any colors to see; only black emptiness. He had come close to losing her and Emma again. His heart beat for them, for his family. He'd go anyway, find them any place. But he was getting tired of being separated from them. Maybe it was their fate, but all he wanted was to be with them as a family.

"I never noticed, but I think you're right. We have to show Emma." An instant later, he realized what he just said. Sometimes he just forgot; forgot that their daughter was a grown woman, who didn't need to be shown bright colors in the sky. He wanted to show them to her, to see the child inside of her. They had missed so much and it was the one thing they never could get back. Charming wasn't great with loss; the past still haunted him. And he was determined not to let it repeat itself. Emma and Henry had lost so many years together and he would bring his grandson back. They would find him, because that was their fate as well.

"Where is Emma anyway?" Snow asked. She hadn't seen her daughter in a while. In her own words she'd told them to leave her alone. While Snow would have gladly comforted her, she knew she still needed to deal with things on her own from time to time.

"I hope that Hook character leaves her alone." Charming mumbled angrily as he followed his wife to check on their daughter. Snow couldn't help but chuckle. Couldn't all their problems be as mundane as Charming not approving of a guy interested in Emma? She stopped him and put her arms around his neck. Maybe somewhere along the line this could be their reality. No more running and having to find each other.

"Let's concentrate on finding-" Snow was cut off by a loud, shrill scream. The couple startled and immediately started towards the noise. It had sounded like a child. As far as they were concerned, there were no children on the ship. Charming yanked open the door to the room they'd last seen Emma in. Suddenly, Snow had a strange feeling.

"What the…" Charming stopped dead in his tracks. Snow, right behind him, crashed into his back. In the middle of the room stood a small girl, stark naked and crying softly.

"Give me your jacket." Snow whispered. Charming didn't react right away; somehow the child seemed so familiar, but why would he know her? Finally, he easily slipped out of his jacket and Snow used it to gently cover the girl up. She crouched down to the child's eye level.

"Hey there, what's your name?" The girl looked at her with big eyes and trembling lips, but she didn't say a word. Snow guessed she was about three or four years old; maybe she had never learned how to talk. Her heart broke as she looked at the lost child. There was something about her eyes; they were big and a distinct color. These eyes… they were just too familiar. She had come to know these eyes and suddenly she realized just who this child was.

"No…" She whispered. "Emma?" Behind her, Charming gasped. He was next to her in an instant. The girl looked up at him and she sobbed gut-wrenchingly.

"It can't be her." He said, his own words choked.

"Honey, can you talk?" The girl nodded.

"I'm Emma." The girl said in a small, childish voice that still sounded uncertain with words, "I have no mommy or daddy." Words that settled in Snow like a heavy burden. Her own eyes filled with tears she felt too weak to control. She let them fall, didn't have a chance not to. Beside her, Charming touched her shoulder. She didn't need to see his face to know he was crying, too. This was too powerful, too surreal.

"How- how old are you? Do you know?" It was Charming who found his voice first. Snow had so many questions; inquiries a child could never answer or even understand.

"I'm almost four." Little Emma whispered as if it were a secret. She just stared at them, unafraid of who they were. Snow wanted to believe that it was because she trusted them, but she didn't know what kind of curse this was. It seemed to have ripped Emma not only of her age, but of her memories, too.

"Did your parents leave you here?" She asked with a heavy voice. They were her parents after all. Many years ago this had been the Emma they knew today. A small girl who couldn't understand why people left her and why, seemingly in this cold world, no one loved her. A girl who thought her parents didn't want her.

"I-I-I don't emember." Snow and Charming exchanged a sad look. They had to find out what had happened to their daughter. Their grown-up daughter. They shouldn't have let her alone, even if Regina and Gold couldn't be interested in turning Emma into a child. However, the number of suspects on this ship was eerily small.

"Emma," the girl's eyes seemed to grow even wider. Snow thought she would drown in them. How often had she wondered what she had been like as a small child? How often had she hoped to just spend time with her daughter when she was still just that – a child? It was a dream come true. Only it felt like a nightmare. One she still hoped to wake up from. But the eyes, they kept staring at her.

"My name is Mary Margaret and this is my husband, David."

"Hi." Little Emma said shyly. She looked at them intensely; almost as if she remembered who they were. Snow expected to wake up any moment. This couldn't be real.

"I like you." Emma said without hesitation. She tugged on the leather jacket around her and Snow realized they had to get her some clothes that fitted her. But first of all they had to find out what had happened – and what the consequences were. Snow felt bitter anger bubble up inside of her. Whoever had done this to her daughter would have to explain themselves.

"How about you come with us and we'll see if we can find some real clothes for you?" Charming seemed to have overcome his own shock. His voice was soft and Snow was amazed how trusting this young version of her daughter was.

"I like this." Emma said and caressed the soft leather jacket. The proud smile on Charming's face almost broke Snow's heart.

"You can keep it, but we should find you something else, too." The little girl nodded and looked up at him. 'She wants to be picked up', Snow thought. A moment later, Charming understood as well. With a look of disbelief, he turned to his wife. She smiled at him. All of this could be a dream, she reminded herself. Maybe she had ingested something that had provoked hallucinations.

Carefully, Charming picked her up. He was surprised how light she was. He, too, couldn't bring together his grown up daughter with this small child he had never gotten to know. In that moment he fell in love with her all over again. The first time had been right after her birth. Then for the second time when she found them and now…this moment made up for the past they'd never shared.

"Let's find Gold. Somehow I think he's to blame for… this." Snow said and Charming nodded. They both looked at their small daughter and even though they knew this wasn't right, they both couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness. A sense of having found something they thought they'd lost forever.

_TBC_


	2. The Size of a Pea

**A/N**: A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed (you guys are the best)! You really, really made my day.

* * *

Out on the ship's deck, Emma suddenly tightened her grip on the man who was holding her. Charming felt alarmed immediately. There was something – or someone - out here that scared her. He felt anger rise within him; someone had done this to his daughter and they would pay. No matter her size or her age, he would always protect her. His heart, he knew, beat only for her – and her mother. When he spotted Hook, the rage inside him became almost unbearable. Luckily for the Captain, Snow touched his arm and brought him back to reality and the problem on hand. Emma was still clinging to him for dear life.

"It's fine, he's not going to hurt you." He whispered absent-mindedly. To his greatest surprise, his little daughter giggled and buried her face in his neck.

"I know." Was her simple answer, which left him baffled. Maybe a young Emma had been like this; a child who only saw the best in people. This was the girl she would have been had Regina never put that curse on them. He felt so much anger for almost anyone on this ship that his heart seemed ready to burst. And they were a family now. A weird, screwed-up version of one, but that didn't matter.

"Why you angry?" Emma asked and touched his chin. Her touch was pure magic. All his anger melted away at her sweet caress. He couldn't do anything but stare at her. It was as if she had trapped him in a spell. He lost himself in her eyes that were so familiar (her mother's, he knew). Charming didn't even notice his wife next to him who watched the scene in wonderment. Her hand reached out, but before she became part of their moment, Hook approached them. As the Captain, he was easily disrupted by unfamiliar noises on his ship. When he'd turned around and seen that bundle in the prince's arms, he knew something had obviously gone completely wrong.

"Who is this?" Both Charming and Snow detected the nervousness in Hook's voice. He kept looking at the girl, who was unafraid of him. If anything, she seemed fascinated by him.

"Don't tell me you had nothing to do with this!" Charming wished he could just hit the man again. Hitting him had felt good. His motives when it came to the shady Captain weren't necessarily based on anything but protection for the girl he was holding at the moment. Even as a grown woman, Emma still needed some parental guidance from time to time. At least when it came to men.

"I don't. Is this- is this?" He, too, stretched out his good arm to touch Emma and make sure she was who he thought she was. Charming caught it and flapped it away like an annoying fly.

"If you want to keep your arm…"

"Stop now," Snow interjected, "You have no idea what happened to her?" Much to her chagrin, Hook grinned first at her and then at little Emma, who giggled. It was a sound Snow would never get used to. Only when he saw Charming's less than amused glare, did he become serious.

"I didn't say _that_. I didn't do this to her. "

"What happened, Hook? I swear I-"

"No fight!" Emma said and once again she turned her father's chin so that he was looking at her. That was an expression he knew; determined Emma, who knew what she wanted. It almost made him smile.

"We're not fighting, honey," the endearment rolled easily off Snow's lips, "We just want to know what happened." Her daughter looked at her questioningly and that was when it hit her; Emma didn't know anything was even wrong. This was a child who had no idea that she was supposed to be a grown up.

"You know, we want to know how you got here."

"My mommy and daddy dropped me here." She answered with a small voice. Her real parents shared a quick look of regret, before they concentrated on her again. This had to be a false memory. Maybe it had been implemented into this spell or whatever this was. The real question was how they could explain to Emma that no one had left her here. If this was a permanent state, and Snow couldn't allow herself to think about that for so many reasons, they had to tell her who they were.

"Do you remember- do you remember them?" It was Charming who asked the girl. The unshed tears in his eyes were painful to watch. Hook still hadn't said what he knew, but at the moment Emma was more important. It seemed as if the Captain was amazed by what had happened, too. Luckily, Charming was so immersed in his daughter he couldn't see the other man's look. He wouldn't have liked it.

The girl nodded and stared into the water. When a small wave hit the ship, she startled and clung to the man she didn't know was her father. This was what she was afraid of; not Hook, or any person. She was afraid of the elements. She was merely a child, who still believed. In her mind, people didn't hurt you. Everything could hurt you, but never the people around you.

"They only watched me. They said my real parents want me now." Her eyes sparkled for a short moment, before a shadow came over them. The first signs of doubt, a single shred of realization.

"They not here yet. Are they?" Her big eyes fell on Charming. In Snow's fantasies, Emma had always been a daddy's girl. He had wanted a boy and when she'd seen they would have a daughter, a short moment of fear had washed over. Like a wave of nausea. But he had looked at her and she'd known; he would love their daughter more than anything else in the world. He would protect her from ogres, from the Queen – and he would move the world to spare her heartbreak. Her broken memories were so intense she didn't see him look at her at first, but before she could react, Hook interfered.

"She ate the berries." The words seemed like a realization, even though he must have known what had happened.

"What berries?"

"Listen, I'm not sure it's good if Emma- if the kid – can we talk without her for a moment?"

"No." Charming answered immediately.

"It's not something she'd understand, mate."

"We're not leaving her alone." They fought a short, silent battle with their eyes and Charming apparently won, because Hook sighed dramatically. He drew a deformed figure out of his pocket. Instantly, Emma was interested in it. With a quick look of victory at Charming, he handed it to the child.

"Uh." Her little fingers closed around it and she no longer cared for the grown-ups around her; she was in her own realm and wouldn't listen to anything they had to say. Charming never would have guessed that Hook had any idea how to deal with a child. However, this wasn't a moment to dwell on something so insignificant.

"They grow these berries in Neverland," Hook stared at Emma for a moment trying to see if she really wasn't listening. It made Charming hold her closer. The careful way Hook talked, made him fear the worst.

"They use them to make the boys… compliant." Beside him, Snow gasped.

"That doesn't explain why Emma has turned into a child." Charming interjected, feeling like Hook was leaving something out.

"It does. The berries revert you to the age you last believed that people are good. Or rather, it takes you back to a time before you start to mistrust." All three pairs of eyes landed on Emma. One night, after sharing some wine, Emma had told Snow about the family she'd been with until she was about three years old. They had loved her like their own daughter – until they found out the woman was pregnant. Suddenly, there didn't seem enough space in their hearts to love a biological child as well as Emma.

"Is it – is it permanent?" In a way, any answer had to be painful. This girl had a chance to be just that; a child who would grow up loved by her parents. On the other hand, all her memories – Henry – would be etched from her mind. There was no way to win this. No matter what Hook's answer was, Snow knew she didn't like it.

"Answer the question, Hook." The contempt in Charming's voice was ever present, but the pirate kept quiet and stared at the little girl who was lost in her own world.

"I don't know." He finally answered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" His little outburst caused Emma to look up at him and he immediately composed himself.

"I've never seen an adult digest them. Only children. Sometimes you can't even tell the difference with them. They just grow up."

"But she can't – what about Henry? There has to be something we can do!"

"I wouldn't know." Hook said with a shrug. His black eyes seemed to darken even more before he went on speaking.

"Maybe the crocodile does."

Snow and Charming exchanged a look. They might have become family, but making a deal with Rumplestiltskin was never a good idea. Never. But could they do this to Emma? Could they take away her whole life for their own benefit?

"We'll talk to him." Charming sealed their fate and Snow nodded. How gladly would she take this small child – her daughter – in and raise her like she'd never been given the chance to. It was wrong. It was all so very wrong. But why did it feel so right, too?

_TBC_


	3. In Your Eyes, a Truth so Real

**A/N**: Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who read (and particularly to those who reviewed!). Somehow Hook sneaked itself more into my story than I intended.

* * *

"I won't join you in that conversation," Hook said with a mean grin; it could have been a grimace. So far the two arch enemies were on their best behavior. No one knew how long the status quo would hold. Including the two men themselves. "I can watch Emma for you." He finally said with a shrug.

"No way." Charming said forcefully.

"Maybe it would be better if I take her and we'll find her something to wear? Are you hungry, honey?" As much as Snow understood that Charming was reluctant to let go of their daughter, they couldn't keep carrying her around. She didn't need to know just yet what had happened to her. First they needed to know how they could fix this. If there was a way to fix it.

"Not hungry." Emma said.

"Hm, but your mo- Mary Margaret is right, you need something to wear."

"I can't wear 'tis?" Emma pointed at the leather jacket she was still wrapped in.

"Of course you can." Snow and Charming said almost in unison. "But you need real clothes, honey. Ok?" Emma thought about it for a short moment, but then she nodded. She smiled at Snow and suddenly, just as if she'd done it all her life, she lifted her arms and waited to be picked up by her. Snow felt the momentum of it in her trembling arms. She looked at her husband, who seemed almost sad to let go of her. She could understand it; this was a dream come true. In dreams she had never quite understood as Mary Margaret, she had imagined a small child with a face she hadn't been able to recognize. Her daughter. The impact of the situation was so much greater than Emma's actual weight. She was as light as a feather. The mother in Snow was worried immediately. Had she really eaten enough? Was she healthy? Tears threatened to fall, but she didn't want to worry Emma, so she swallowed them.

"I'll just- I-" While she could keep the tears at bay, she couldn't control her voice. It cracked and hindered her tongue to form the right words. She wanted to pause this moment, because just like any other it would be gone too soon.

"I'll go talk to Gold." Charming told her gently. He kissed her forehead and touched Emma's soft cheek. Walking away from them was painful, however short their separation would be. His feet felt frozen to the ground. In his mind, he knew that nothing would happen. Just as he knew that they needed to find a solution for this problem. However, he had missed so many years with his daughter that even minutes seemed an eternity now. But he had a responsibility and a duty. He shot one last warning look at Hook before he walked off with heavy heart.

"You ok?" Emma asked when she saw Snow looking lost. Apparently, a part of this person had always been inside of her. With some pride, as well as some disappointment, Snow realized that she had inherited it from her parents. This ability to care for other people; a skill that had caused them so much pain already. Had Snow herself been a little more selfish, a little less of the person she was – none of this would have happened. Doubting herself, questioning her motives that wasn't Snow either. That was Mary Margaret. She tried to shake both personas off and just concentrate on her daughter, who had not yet received an answer from her.

"I'm fine, baby."

"Not a baby." Emma shook her head vehemently.

"Of course you're not. You're a big girl already." Emma nodded, little knowing that in reality she truly was a big girl; she was a grown woman. The longer she stayed like this, the more Snow secretly liked it. She had never gotten to hold her daughter. And holding her small frame close to her, feeling her rapid heartbeat, she wasn't sure if she could ever let go of it. Not again.

"Now we'll just have to find something for you to wear."

"I might have something." Hook provided with yet another shrug.

"Why do you – I don't think I want to know." Snow said and adjusted Emma on her hip.

"Just follow me."

Emma watched every one of Hook's movement. Different from any other moment in the past, it was because she was fascinated by him. He was rummaging around some old clothes. Sometimes he would hold something up, but then decided it wasn't the right size, color or whatever his criteria were. Finally, he made an approving sound and handed Snow a long shirt.

"That's it?" She asked. Even Emma wrinkled her nose.

"This is part of it." He told her and a moment later he held up a small pair of pants.

"I wear 'tis?" Emma asked almost appalled.

"Sorry, princess that's all I have." Snow took the garments from Hook. They looked ragged, but clean. If she stayed small… they would have to think of something else. As Snow put the clothes on the girl, her daughter directed her eyes at Hook, who at least had the decency to look away.

"Why you call me princess?" The words made Snow jump, but the girl didn't notice. She was certain Hook hadn't meant anything by it. Then again, she was a rightful princess. Only she didn't know yet and there was no way she was going to find out from a pirate.

"Oh, no reason. You look like one is all." He played with his hook and grinned at Snow. Sometimes she could understand her husband's wish to just constantly hit that man in the face. Her anger vanished as quickly as it had washed over her, because the smile Hook gave Emma was simply adorable. The girl held up the strange figure Hook had given her and it seemed as if she wanted to return it to him.

"Keep it. I know you'll keep it safe." Emma's eyes grew wide. She looked from the figure to Hook and finally to Snow, who nodded. The girl, determined to guard the toy with her life, gripped it tightly with her small fingers. For the first time Snow really looked at the small thing. It must have been a real toy once, but it was too deformed to say what it might have been. The curiosity in her was sparked, but there simply wasn't time to ask Hook about it. Her heat beat faster when she thought about Charming with Gold discussing their daughter's future.

* * *

Not too far away, Gold and Charming were actually arguing, because as always, the older man seemed reluctant to help – unless he got something out of it.

"Do you have a cure?" Anger laced Charming's voice.

"I have never heard of these berries before. So my answer would be no."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Well, that is a question I cannot answer. If you'll excuse me now-" Charming blocked the doorway, but Gold didn't feel threatened. He didn't even flinch. Like he'd once said, they had a long history. And now it was even more entwined, even more complicated with Emma, Neal and Henry.

"Just answer me this: will she stay like this? Will she stay a child?"

"I honestly can't answer that." It was the truth; Charming saw it in his eyes. He felt a great sadness rise in him. As much as he wanted to be there for his daughter's childhood, he didn't want it to be like this. There had to be a way.

"I can answer it." Both Gold and Charming turned towards Regina. Neither had seen her enter; if she had entered at all. There was a gleam of darkness back in her eyes, despite what she'd done to help them. When it came to Emma, trusting her was always a gamble. But at the moment she was their only chance. Their only hope. Charming let go of Gold and looked at the woman he'd known as the Evil Queen longer than he'd known her as Henry's mother, as someone who might help them.

"Tell me. Is she – can we do something?"

"Do you want to do something?" Regina asked. There was no telling whether she was serious or smiling, but in the end it didn't matter, because there was only one right answer.

"This isn't right. We want – we want _our_ Emma back."

"She is still the same person she ever was," Regina explained to him, "But she has never known heartbreak. She has never known distrust. Do you really want to take that away from her? Don't you think that's cruel? You get a second chance."

"No. No, this isn't right." Everything Regina said made sense. It made far too much sense. Only that he knew it wasn't the right thing. Her whole life, her memories. Henry. They belonged to her. Not even her parents had a right to take that away from her.

"Think about it." Regina said. There was something in her voice that wasn't vile. Somehow it sounded like she wasn't doing this because she wanted Emma out of the picture. There was something she wasn't telling him.

"How do we revert this?" Charming asked impatiently. Instinctively, he knew he wouldn't like her answer. However, he needed to know.

"You have to kill her." The words went through him swiftly, like a sword. Somewhere beside him even Gold gasped.

"What?" Charming choked out in a painful whisper.

"In order to make her remember, you have to stab her in the heart." Regina told him and his own heart shattered into a million pieces.

_TBC_


	4. Deep in my heart, a memory

Deep in my heart, a memory

A/N: Sorry I didn't update sooner. Unfortunately, I got hit by a car and it nearly destroyed my shoulder. But I'm better now and so tada, a new chapter!

In that moment, Charming, David, whoever he was, felt frozen. His heart seemed to stop for just a second, but long enough to make it impossible to breathe. All that held him upright were his feelings of disdain for Regina. Unless… those feelings went away in a puff and were replaced by something much more powerful, much more dangerous: what if she was right?

"After everything we've been through, how can you believe I want to cause you or your family any harm?"

"You just told me to kill my daughter!"

"That's not what she said." Gold barged in. It seemed natural that he took Regina's side. How quickly alliances just burst apart, Charming thought. His hand went to where his sword normally would be; to where it had always been. It wasn't there. He hadn't thought he needed it.

"It's exactly what she said!"

"The stab won't kill _her_. Just the child she is now," Regina told him, "it will make her remember who she is." She was an exceptional good liar and he wasn't sure whether he could trust her. He wanted to, because having her on their side would be so much easier. But experience told him otherwise. Just the thought of hurting Emma in any way made his stomach churn. It couldn't be the only way.

"I can't- no. There has to be another way."

"There is," Regina told him and there was a glint in her eyes that made Charming recoil, "you let her grow up happily with her parents."

The possibility that almost hurt as much as the other one. Without another word, he left them. They were supposed to be family, but he still wasn't sure he could trust them. His legs felt heavy as he went to find Snow and Emma. There was no decision to make; it had been made for them. As it always was. Others kept deciding the fate of his family.

Having taught small children for a long, long time, Snow recognized signs of boredom – and Emma was clearly bored. She lazily played with the toy Hook had given to her, but it had lost its appeal.

"When my parents come?" Emma suddenly asked. She looked up at Snow expectantly, who wanted to tell her so badly that she had met them already. Knowing that she couldn't left her speechless.

"How about we eat something now, hm?" Maybe she could distract the child a little while longer. At least until Charming was back. The longer he was gone, the more she feared the outcome. Her daughter kept staring at her as if she knew something was wrong. Tears filled her eyes. How easy her life could be now; this girl had known no heartbreak, no disappointment. But in the end it was all a lie. Someone had erased her life. She hoped that the memories were still somewhere inside of her, just locked away. After all, she knew a lot of about those.

"Not hungry. Can you tell me a story?"

"You like stories?" Emma nodded fervently and Snow smiled at her. In many ways, she was almost like Henry. It shouldn't surprise her, but it did. After all, she only knew the grown up Emma. It was just like she had told Emma in the Enchanted Forest: optimism obviously ran in the family. Only back then Emma hadn't believed she, too, possessed that trait.

"I know a lot of stories."

"With dragons?" Emma's eyes grew big.

"You like dragons?" The girl nodded again.

"Your father could tell you a story about a dragon." Snow mused and it was only when Emma fell silent that she realized what she'd just said. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. _Your father_. She had lost herself in this comfortable feeling of just being with her daughter.

"Daddy?" Emma asked with so much hope in her voice. There was no way Snow could lie to her, to destroy that glimmer she saw there. Unshed tears – of joy, not bitterness – sparkled in her daughter's eyes that were so much like her own.

"Emma, there is something I have to tell you. You might not understand all of it now, but you deserve to know the truth." Just as she was about to tell her, Charming walked in. Emma smiled up at him and waved. But her husband's own smile was forced. Bad news.

"I get a story now. Dragons. And the tuth."

"Truth." Snow corrected her automatically. Emma just nodded solemnly.

"Truth?" Charming asked confused. She could hear the exhaustion in his voice, saw it in his whole stance. They couldn't talk in front of Emma, but for the moment she was glad their daughter was with them. She didn't want to know. No matter what he would tell her, she would hate it. Either way.

"Emma, honey, I need to talk to your – to David – a moment alone, alright?" She almost said it again. It just came naturally to her.

"I get a story then?" Their daughter asked hopeful.

"I promise you get as many stories as you want to hear." It was the way Charming said these words; sadly, beaten that Snow knew. She just knew there was no way to revert what had happened to her. The joy of seeing Emma grow up was muffled by the sad reality of what her daughter would unknowingly lose. What she had already lost. None of this was fair to either of them.

"We'll be right back." Emma nodded and sprawled on the floor, playing with Hook's toy. Just before they went outside, Snow heard her daughter talk to herself and the toy. Such a lovely noise. But such a painful reality.

The salty wind outside made Snow feel sick. Or maybe it was the anticipation. Charming was running his hand nervously through his short hair. He wasn't even looking at her, searching for the words to tell her what she needed to know.

"Just tell me." She said feeling defeated.

"There is no way to-" Despite having known it, Snow gasped. Hearing his words made it real. While part of her had dreamed it was true, that she would get to see her grow up after all, she knew it was wrong. Unnatural. A lie.

"I can't lie to you," Charming suddenly said, changing everything. Snow stared at him. The tears in her eyes made him seem blurry, but with her heart she always saw him clearly. Had he once again tried to spare her a bleak reality? Not for the first time she wondered when they would ever be able to just stop. Just live. She wanted to spend time with her husband, her daughter and their grandson. Just like the normal family they had never been allowed to be.

"There is a way, but… but it's not a possibility."

"What is it?"

"Regina said… she said the only way to revert this," he stopped, swallowing hard. There were tears in his eyes as well, "is to – to kill the child inside." The heavy wave of nausea hit Snow unexpectedly. Charming's arm shot out to steady her immediately. Everything seemed to fade in front of her, but her knees didn't give in. His voice was suddenly far away and his words no longer made sense. Nothing made sense anymore. Her mind was filled with images of the small child waiting for them. With the simple request to tell her a story – and to love her. But there were memories, vivid and so strong, of the Emma she had known before. Her adult daughter, who had just started to trust them. To forgive and to love them. The Emma she would never see again.

"I-I told her it wasn't an option. I can't – there is just no way. We'll find another way." The wind carried the words away. It was a lie. Deep down, Snow knew it to be true. Neither of them was able to hurt the girl – and it was the only possibility.

"We need to tell her."

"What?"

"Who we are. I was about to before you came in. If she- she stays like this, she needs to know." He nodded sadly. It had never been supposed to be like this.

"When we find Henry…" Snow stopped, unable to finish the sentence. Or even her own thought. With Emma being a small child herself who couldn't protect herself, this mission was even more dangerous. How would they keep her safe?

"We'll solve that problem, too." They both attempted to smile, but there was no happiness. No comfort. Charming grabbed her hand and together they went back to tell Emma who she was – and most importantly, who they were. On the other side of the ship, Hook stepped out of the shadows. Too wrapped up in their problems, they hadn't seen him. But he had heard everything. The words that constantly repeated themselves in his head however were different ones. They belonged to Emma. 'The kid just lost his father today, I'm not letting him lose a mother, too', she'd told him. And he pondered and pondered as he stared at the horizon.

Emma looked up as the two adults entered. Despite being a child, she immediately noticed that something was wrong. Both Snow and Charming sat next to her on her ground. Instinctively, the small girl reached out and wiped a tear away from her mother's eye.

"A story." She said solemnly.

"We'll tell you a story," Charming told her, "A great one. One that is true even."

"Is there a dragon?" Emma crawled into his lap. Snow buried her face in her daughter's long hair, softly crying. 'This isn't right', she chanted mentally, but Charming's voice drowned out everything else.

"There is a dragon, princess."

"I'm no princess."

"Actually, you are." And as the girl's eyes grew big, as she looked first at Charming and then at Snow, she seemed to understand. She seemed to recognize them in some way. She took a deep breath, smiled secretively and just listened to the story.

_TBC_


	5. Even Magic Has to End

**A/N**: This is the last part! Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. I hope to be writing more OUAT stories in the future. There are so many talented people in this fandom and I'm just happy to be a part of it. So thank you for paying my story any attention!

* * *

The wonder in Emma's eyes was the most exhilarating feeling Snow had ever experienced. While Charming told their daughter who she was and who they were she just watched them. Her beautiful little daughter accepted the story that sounded like a fairy tale as her personal truth. A grown up Emma had been doubtful up to the last moment. And she had been angry with them for leaving her alone. This girl wasn't. No matter how long she looked at her, she couldn't comprehend that this was going to be their life from now on. They would get to raise her. There were so many complications that Snow didn't even want to think about. But maybe this was Emma's second chance; she had saved all of them so that they could resume their lives. Maybe this was her reward.

"So, do you understand?" Charming asked, finishing his story. Their story. Emma seemed to think about it for a moment and then nodded.

"You're my daddy," He nodded with difficulty, "and you're mommy." Her soft hand touched Snow's. The eyes that looked so much like her own were filled with love and trust. This is going to work, Snow told herself desperately, as her heart spilled over with love for her daughter.

"I am." She said her voice barely above a whisper. But she realized this wasn't the first time Emma acknowledged them as her parents. Just before they had lost Henry, Emma had called them 'mom' and 'dad'. The feeling of that first time hadn't left her. It was still present everywhere, but mostly in her heart. This girl, who was still Emma somewhere deep down, gave her love so readily. Who would Emma be when she grew up – again?

"I'm hungry now." Little Emma said and looked at both her parents. She smiled sheepishly. She had probably been hungry all the time, but she had waited for something. Maybe for this. It no longer mattered. This was the first day of their new life together. The first day of being the family they should have always been.

* * *

Both Snow and Charming felt protective when they saw Regina and Gold on the deck of the ship. Obviously, they were curious to see baby Emma. As Charming took her hand in his, Snow realized that protecting her from all of this was going to be hard. Especially once they got to Neverland. They needed the help of their newly extended family.

"Emma, I want you to meet Regina and –" Charming stared at the man with the many names and personalities. If it were up to him, his daughter wouldn't have to get to know him. However, he was with them on this ship and he was Henry's grandfather. He was family.

"Mr. Gold." With a crooked smile he extended his hand and Emma took it with a broad smile. She liked being the center of attention, which was still unusual.

"Have you met mommy and daddy?" Emma asked Regina and Mr. Gold. Snow was as surprised as she was touched upon seeing Regina's expression. The last time she'd seen the woman like that must have been when she was still a child herself. There was no evilness to be found on her face. Rather she seemed to be trying to reach out to Emma. To make sure the girl was real. Then it occurred to Snow: maybe she saw something in her daughter that reminded her of Henry. The son she had lost.

"We have, honey." The endearment slipped as easily off Regina's lips as it had off Snow's earlier.

"I'm hungry," Emma turned to her father, apparently bored with talking to the adults.

"Let's go find something to eat." Charming eyed them warily and took his daughter's hand to lead her away. Emma waved at them before she started chatting about something that included dragons and princesses. For a moment, Snow couldn't move. She tried to accept this situation as their new reality, but somehow she couldn't. All of this still felt like a dream. A very strange dream. This isn't right, her mind told her again and again. She just couldn't shake it off.

"For what it's worth, I couldn't do it either," Regina suddenly said and brought Snow back to reality.

"Huh?"

"Stab her. She's- she's a child. She's…" Regina and Snow shared a look. They hadn't felt this close to each other in so, so long. If only they could have bonded over something else, Snow thought. But it always had to be heartbreak. Always something that shattered one of them.

"It's not her." Gold said. With a pensive expression on his face he wandered off. Much to Snow's surprise, he seemed to follow Charming and Emma. A weird feeling spread through her that felt eerily like fear. There was no way Charming would let Gold hurt their daughter. Not again, but she suddenly felt a strong need to be with her.

"I have no idea how to… how we can do this."

"And yet you always find a way to work it out." Regina said with the slightest hint of annoyance. Just for once Snow hoped she was right.

* * *

Occupying Emma on a ship turned out to be a fairly difficult affair. Except for Hook's small toy Emma didn't have anything to play with and while Charming told her story after story, the girl could hardly sit still. And they seemed to be under constant observation. Neither of the other passengers bothered them, but neither of them could stop staring at the girl either. Snow didn't want to know what they were thinking and she knew that Charming felt the same. He had actually suggested keeping her inside, but their daughter was way too energetic.

"She would have had so much fun in the Enchanted Forest." Charming told Snow when the sun was about to set. Emma was staring at the sunset in wonderment. She clutched Hook's small figure and yelled something at the Captain on the other side of the ship that was incomprehensible. It was obvious that she had taken a liking to the man. Not that her parents could understand why.

"Maybe we should really go back once all of this over." They had discussed it before, but the adult version of Emma had seemed reluctant to go. After all, this world was the only one she'd ever known. Somehow Snow felt like going back now would be like disregarding her daughter's wishes.

"I could teach her how to sword fight," Charming mused, "You'd teach her how to ride. We're going to be a family." Despite seeing this imagined life clearly, Snow didn't join in. Everything Charming said had been her dream – once. It all made sense; this was their second chance. Good was winning, wasn't it? By chance, she saw Hook looking at Emma. While she couldn't understand why he was so affected by her change, she felt for him. Twenty-eight years ago they had sent a baby away to give her a better life. A life she never got to know. The Emma she knew however – would she have chosen to do it all again? Could they decide for her again and again? There was a way to undo this. A terrible, heart-wrenching way that could return them _their_ Emma if only…

"What are you thinking about? I thought we decided that… there's nothing we can do."

"I know, I know. It's just – I miss her. I miss Emma." When the words were finally out, Snow felt relieved as well as guilty.

"We'll make new memories," Charming told her. Looking into his eyes she realized he was thinking of his grown-up daughter as well, "We'll get the life we always wanted." Snow wished she could tell him that she no longer knew what she wanted.

"Magic always comes with a price," she told him instead, "I'm not sure… I'm not sure I'll be able to pay it."

"Mom! Dad!" Emma came running towards them. She threw herself at Charming and he caught her without even thinking about it. He couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Can I help Hook sail? He said I so could!"

"It's almost time for bed, princess."

"But before bed! Now. Just a moment. Please, daddy? Mommy?" She was good at this, Snow realized. And she already had Charming wrapped around her little finger. Everything was just the way it was supposed to be. Except that it wasn't – and no matter how beautiful this was, she couldn't accept it.

"I'm not sure." It was a trust issue; to Charming Hook was a shady character that couldn't be trusted. Particularly with his daughter.

"Pleeeeease." Emma turned to Snow, hoping to have more success. Suddenly there was a feeling in her chest that reminded her of that moment when Regina had ripped her heart out. The same agony, the same emptiness.

"Go ahead." She told her daughter. They had to let go of her at some point. Charming glanced at her, but if she looked at him she'd just change her mind. Snow wasn't sure he even knew what this meant. But she did. At least she thought she did – and she hated the Captain for it.

"Thanks!" Emma quickly hugged her mother and when she wanted to run off, she held her a moment longer. The girl didn't struggle and put her head on her mother's shoulder. Snow closed her eyes, desperately trying to hang on to this feeling. A memory she would be forever thankful for and she stored it away, locked it deep inside her heart.

"I love you," she told the little girl, trying not to choke up, "Go hug daddy, too, ok?" Emma did as she was told. As his daughter put her small arms around his neck, he saw his wife's expression. He was either in denial or still clueless. In the end it didn't matter, because it wouldn't change anything. Together they watched their daughter jump around happily in clothes that didn't fit her and never would.

"What… what did just happen?" Charming asked and when Snow didn't reply, he finally seemed to understand. He tried to follow Emma, but Snow stopped him.

"No." He whispered. Before Snow finally gave into her tears, she thought he might have sounded relieved.

* * *

"Who teach you to sail?" Emma asked when Hook helped her steer the ship. His heart beat crazily. He hadn't thought that her parents would actually let her out of their sight. And from over here he couldn't even see them. More importantly, they couldn't see him either.

"My father." He answered simply. The small dagger he had hidden suddenly felt heavy. He didn't think he could go through with it. This was a child. A child he actually liked. Many men, and even a few women, had died at his hand (or hook). Never a child. I'm not going to kill her, he told himself, I'll just remind her who she is. If it didn't work… then he wouldn't live long enough to feel the unbearable guilt. Back in Storybrooke Emma had pleaded with him to go along with their crazy plan because Henry couldn't lose another parent. Little did she know that she would be the mother he came close to losing.

"Is he a prince like my daddy?" She asked with pride.

"No. Stop asking so many questions."

"Why?" She turned to him and looking into her innocent eyes Hook knew he wouldn't be able to do this.

"You have no idea who you are, do you?"

"I'm Emma," the girl said and furrowed her brows, "a princess." She finished with a big grin.

"Ok, Swan I'm doing this for you. For your kid." Emma stared at him as he fumbled with the dagger still uncertain whether he could actually go through with it. A hint of fear appeared in her eyes and he hesitated. No one came to stop him.

"Hook?" He closed his eyes painfully, "You want your toy back?" She held it out to him with a questioning look. He would miss this about her; this trust that could only be found in children. Such a vulnerable quality. The dagger was in his hand and he smiled at her. A forced smile, but she couldn't tell the difference yet.

"You keep it." He told her and in one swift motion he put the dagger right through her heart. Her eyes grew wide, but there was no sound. Betrayal was the only thing stronger than this magic. Broken promises and broken trust.

"Thank me later, Swan." He said as the child fell into his arms. Moments passed and Hook felt the impact of what he'd just done. There was no blood as he held the small, lifeless body. The breath went out of her and he thought he was going to pass out from the sudden nausea. A strange, salty breeze hit him and distracted him for a moment so that he hardly noticed how the weight in his arms grew heavier and heavier.

"What the-" Her voice sounded strange, yet heavenly in his ears.

"Hook, what are you doing?" A fully grown Emma asked with a voice that sounded like she'd just woken up after a night of heavy drinking.

"You're back!" His cheerfulness irritated Emma. She tried to free herself from his grip as she noticed her strange attire. Luckily the clothes had been too big for little Emma, so that they at least covered some of her body. But they didn't cover nearly enough to be in Hook's arms.

"Let go of me."

"No can do, Swan. I gotta take you back to your parents." He picked her up easily enough and while Emma kicked and yelled insults at him, he could only smile.

"Good to have you back." He mumbled and she heard it.

"What are you talking about?"

Hook wasn't surprised to see all of them emerging from different parts of the ship. Emma had been rather vocal ever since she had returned to her old self.

"Emma?" When she heard her mother's voice Emma suddenly grew silent. It was the way she said her name; as if she'd been gone a while and only just returned. She didn't know how close that was to the truth. Finally Hook let go of her and Emma almost stumbled, because her knees seemed unusually weak. Both her parents were with her in an instant. She felt a coat being put over her shoulders and wondered why the situation seemed so familiar.

"Why is everyone staring at me? What happened?" Emma looked around and the unreadable smile on Gold's face and Regina's relieved expression freaked her out. Then there were her parents. Torn between happiness and a sense of regret, they stared at her as.

"Nothing, honey. Everything is going to be ok now." Snow told her. She smiled through her tears. Happy tears, mostly. Some of them were for the daughter she briefly got to know and who she could have loved as well. Fate had chosen a different path for them: this one. One day she would thank Hook for what he had done. One day soon they would tell Emma about all of this. They had so much time now.

"You don't look ok." Emma said, rattled by their behavior. Both of them laughed and took her into their arms. This time as she held her, Snow knew this was the way it was supposed to be. They might have missed many years, many memories that never would be. There would always a sense of regret, of longing for what might have been. What could have been. But this was their story.

"But we will be." Charming answered for all of them and Snow knew he was right, because after all they were a family. A sometimes strange, sometimes screwed up form of family – but the best one there ever was.

**END **


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